


Infection

by Cyrokin



Category: The Hollow (Cartoon)
Genre: AU Fic, Action, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Zombies, F/M, Kaimira later, Multi, Not a shipping fic though, Rating May Change, Zombie AU, Zombie Apocalypse, Zombies, some gore
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-13
Updated: 2019-05-01
Packaged: 2019-10-09 07:20:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,440
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17402507
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cyrokin/pseuds/Cyrokin
Summary: In a world where a mutant virus has turned a majority of North America's population into zombies and a small percentage of the rest into superhumans, Adam is a lone ranger, going from town to town, fighting zombies and helping out whoever he can. But it's a lonely life, as the young traveler doesn't allow himself to get too close to anyone.But after nearly losing to a horde larger and stronger than he'd ever faced before, Adam finds himself in the company of two teens--- Mira, a girl with the ability to heal small wounds, and Kai, a powerful fire wielder. Adam knows he can't go on like he is forever. Maybe it's finally time to let someone else in.





	1. The Strong One (Prologue)

**Author's Note:**

> OK. Fair note to make, I have never written a zombie story before. I have never watched any media about zombies, save one episode of another show I like and the zombie episode of the Hollow. I don't even particularly like zombies! I just got the idea to do this and all the ideas flowed naturally. If I use any cliches from the genre that people hate, I apologize, as I was unaware of them. This is something new and exciting for me and I can't wait to get into it.
> 
> And yes, I had to change Mira's abilities. Breathing underwater and talking to animals just don't work in this setting, so I gave her something more useful. :)
> 
> Enjoy!

Fifteen-year-old Adam Delacruz wasn't tired. Comfortable as it was, his bed did nothing to calm the raging energy which filled his veins tonight. After being so sick for the past week or so, he now felt stronger and fitter than ever before. Why did he need to sleep? He felt like he could run a mile--- but since it was after midnight, he had to settle for poking around his phone.

Social media was oddly silent. This virus--- this epidemic--- had become so widespread that almost everyone at the school, both students and staff alike, had come down with the illness. As a result, school had been closed, and was not set to resume until two weeks had passed. One week down, and most affected were still sick, if Adam's newsfeed was any indication. His friends had been more active than usual since the closing. But no-one had posted a single update in hours, not even the night owls. It was just... _dead._

Bored, Adam switched out of the browser and began to search for a game to play. His thoughts were briefly interrupted by a shuffling, banging noise from downstairs. It sounded like Papa getting up to find a midnight snack. Maybe he wasn't the only one in his family who was feeling better, Adam mused.

**EMERGENCY ALERT**  
_LOCK YOUR DOORS._

Adam blinked, puzzled at the bizarre message that appeared on his phone. He opened the alert to see if there was any context given. There was not. The only message present was that ominous warning to lock the doors.

 _Well, our doors are locked_ , he thought. _Whatever this is, we're safe._

A loud CRASH from downstairs caused Adam to jump out of his skin. His heart raced as he sat there, wide-eyed, for a good ten seconds. Maybe he _wasn't_ safe. What if there was an intruder downstairs, and not his father? What if that crash was a full-on brawl between Papa and some robber? Or maybe it was... whatever the alert had warned him about. However improbable that was.

Adam turned off his phone and slid off the bed as quietly as he could, then tip-toed across the room. He removed the sword and sheath his brother had bought him for his birthday down from its perch on the wall. He wasn't very good with it yet, but it was the only weapon he had against whatever intruder had potentially entered his home.

 _This is like something straight out of a horror movie_ , he thought as he sneaked over to the bedroom door. He fastened the sheath over his shoulder, sword already drawn. Then, with a hesitant deep breath, he twisted the doorknob.

Adam peered out into the hall and listened. He could hear a heavy, ragged breathing coming from downstairs. He wanted to call out to his father, but he held back. He crept down the stairs, careful to avoid each squeaky spot, until he reached the bottom. The breathing was coming from the kitchen. Adam drew closer, his heartbeat growing louder and louder. He was sure he'd be heard now, even if his footsteps made no noise at all.

He paused before the entrance to the kitchen, then slowly poked his head inside the room. The source of the crash--- the refrigerator, yanked from its place in the wall and cast to the floor, doors open and foodstuffs lying everywhere. The man in the middle of it all--- not his father, or even a robber--- but his brother, Seth.

Seth was down on his knees, hovering over the mess like a vulture in search of prey. He was panting in a way that suggested desperation. His arms were busy digging through the fridge's emptied contents.

Adam sheathed his sword. "Seth?" he breathed. "What are you...?"

Seth froze at the sound of his brother's voice. His breathing returned to a normal volume. He didn't bother to turn around when he answered. "It's all cold," he rasped.

Adam hesitated. "We... you... could have used the microwave," he suggested. There was no hiding the tremor in his voice. Everything about this told Adam to get out--- leave Seth to his own devices. But his brother was clearly unstable, and Adam didn't want him to accidentally hurt himself. Maybe he should call an ambulance...

Seth rose to his feet. Adam backed away, startled at the sudden movement. "It's _all cold_ ," Seth restated. "Everything is cold."

Adam swallowed. "I um... I actually think it's a bit warm. Is your fever back? Have you even checked your temper...a...ture...?" Adam felt the blood drain from his face when his brother turned around to face him. Instead of the kind brown eyes of his brother, Adam found himself greeted by a pair of glowing toxic green eyes.

Seth's raspy breathing returned as those sickly irises drifted over his younger brother's frame--- like a hungry animal investigating its prey. "But not you," he rumbled. Adam's breath caught in his throat. Seth's tongue flashed across his lips. "You're _warm._ "

Adam didn't wait for Seth to make a move. He darted out of the kitchen and made a mad dash for the stairs. He could hear the desperate panting and frantic footsteps of Seth behind him. His brother was on his heels. "Seth! What's come over you?" Adam called. No answer from his brother--- only more panting. It was as if Seth had been turned into some kind of zombie!

This was hopeless--- where could he run? If he ran outside, Seth could follow him. If he locked himself in the bathroom, there would be no way out. He had no place to go but up to his room. Maybe the stairs would slow Seth down! _And me with it_ , Adam knew. So, he purposed--- he'd just have to beat his brother up the stairs!

Time seemed to slow down as Adam focused on the staircase ahead of him. A thought sent all his energy pulsing into his legs and feet. And when he leaped into the air to catch the second step, he flew--- _was he flying?_ \--- all the way to the top in one bound. And for a split second of frozen time, Adam wondered what had just happened. Forget what had come over _Seth_ for a second--- what the heck had just happened to _him?_

He didn't have time to ponder it for long--- Seth was on his way up the stairs, and he was beginning to foam at the mouth. Adam ran to his room, slammed the door, and locked it. He snatched up a satchel bag from the floor and threw it on his bed. Then he scrambled to look for some necessary items--- a flashlight, batteries, a few packets of peanuts...

Seth slammed against the bedroom door. Adam panicked. He darted around his room, looking for any little thing that might help. Random crowbar... half-empty water bottle...

Fingernails scraped at the door. " _So hungry_ ," Seth moaned. "Adam, _please!_ "

Adam took ahold of a photograph stuck to his wall--- a picture of Seth and himself. Smiling. Happy. Ready for the next great adventure. Adam swallowed the lump in his throat and shoved the photo into the satchel. This was one adventure he'd have to take on his own. Now if there was anything else he needed to---

SLAM!

Never mind. It was time to go. _Now_. If Seth had the power to tear down a refrigerator with his bare hands, he could surely break down that door in no time. This must have been it. This must have been what the alert had warned him about. And if so, just how widespread _was_ this phenomenon?

Adam unlocked his window. He didn't want to leave, but he didn't seem to have a choice. All he could do now was _run_. Run and hope his parents would be all right.

He slipped out the window and onto the roof as the animalistic scrapes, slams and moans of his brother intensified. A hand of sadness clutched Adam's heart. Whatever had happened to his brother, he was determined to find out. "Goodbye, Seth," whispered Adam. He slammed the window shut and turned around.

It wasn't that far of a jump, really. Adam bit his lip and concentrated on the jump. He felt the energy surge into his legs and feet, just as it had before.

And the leap of faith commenced.

Adam hit the ground running. He didn't stop. He _couldn't_ stop. He wouldn't _let_ himself stop until he found some way to reverse whatever had happened to his brother. He'd just keep running and running and running and---

\---GASP---!

Sixteen-year-old Adam Delacruz awoke to the sound of nails clawing at the windows and door of the small shack he'd found earlier that night. He could see the horde through the foggy, battered glass--- their withered, sickly silhouettes, bony, clawlike fingers, and their terrible glowing green eyes. _Especially_ their eyes. The sight of them still made him shudder.

He stood up, fastened his sword to his back and threw his satchel over his shoulder. It wasn't even dawn yet, but Adam knew the time had come for his day to begin. He drew his sword and approached the door, eyes narrowed in determination. Another day, another fight closer to his destination. Wherever that was.

It was time to run again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy cow, Seth is back! But this time he's a zombie. (For those who may not know, I introduced Seth in my fic "Post Hollow Syndrome". This story is unrelated to that one but when you've got a perfectly good brother character for Adam, why dump him?)
> 
> As for "What Lies Beyond", I'm still technically "working" on it. But the process feels dry and slow and if I can't have fun writing something about the Hollow, what's the point? I'll lose motivation for sure. And the surest way to keep up hype is to write an exciting story as a side project. Plus, it's another story for the archives. New additions are few and far between these days. :'D
> 
> -Cy


	2. A Walk in the Park

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're back! Thanks for the hits, comment and the kudos. Feedback is always welcome. :)
> 
> Now the real story can begin. Last chapter was more of a prologue, and I indicated as much. Also, let me know if I need to bump up the rating if you think things are getting into M territory later on. Or even in this chapter, which gets kinda violent, though not descriptively so. You can get pretty dark in teen fiction, so I should have a wide berth.
> 
> Anyway. Hope you enjoy this double-length chapter. :)

It was a bright, sunny afternoon. Comfortable temperature, no strong wind--- just a gentle late-summer breeze which calmly rustled Adam's wavy hair. He sat beneath a deep blue leopard-spotted sky, perched on a rooftop while he cleaned his sword. He had been wiping down the blade throughout the day in an attempt to get off those last splatters of dried blood from that morning's fight.

Adam lifted his blade to the sky once finished. He smiled into the metal as it gleamed in the western sun. Through all the times he'd used the blade to cut his way through undead attackers, he was surprised how shiny it remained. Satisfied with his work, he slid the sword back into its sheath and rose from his perch. With a few well-placed flips and bounds, Adam was back on the ground and moving again. There were precious few hours of daylight left, and there was always more ground to cover.

He had come a long way since the shack early that morning. He'd had to strike down five of the horde just to get past them, getting a disgusting mess on his sword in the process. It wasn't nearly as sharp as it used to be, and finding something with which to sharpen the blade was no easy task considering his lifestyle. Sure, he had the strength to force the blade through any that may challenge him, but it took much more of that strength to use a dull blade than it did a sharp one, and Adam needed to save as much strength for his journey as possible.

A year. Had it really been a year since the sickness had come? It felt so much longer. Within a year cities had been reduced to post-apocalyptic ghost towns. Their homes and businesses, once thriving with life, now served as daytime shelters for the undead and barricaded homes for survivors. It was easy to tell which was which. Adam tended to avoid the survivors' homes.

It wasn't that he hated them. He'd joined such communities in the past. They were decent living arrangements under the circumstances. He'd made friends while there. But all of them he'd had to leave behind in some way--- the call of the wild was too great to resist, and Adam inevitably felt the need to move on. Some had come along with him on his journey, only to be killed or, in the case of his last companion, _transformed_. And Adam had been unable to do anything to stop it. That had been the final straw.

He'd come to the conclusion that he would do better on his own, away from emotional ties, never in any town for longer than a week. It was a lonely life, but at least when he couldn't save people from being eaten, he could move on without _nearly_ as much grief on his shoulders.

Oh, how he hated having emotions in this dreary world. Some days, he felt as if his emotions were as much the enemy as the virus that had transformed so many, including his own brother, into zombies. Adam fought down the fierce sadness he felt arise. It wasn't time to deal with those memories yet. He had a journey to make.

The sun had reached its pre-sunset position--- Adam's cue to find some place to rest tonight. Preferably, some place where he could zone out without worrying about being eaten in his sleep. This task was often difficult, so Adam had to get an early start. Sundown was not far.

A walk down a couple of blocks brought Adam to a local park. A few surrounding street lights were warming up already--- a sure sign that it would be dark soon. Still, there were active electric lights--- a rarity nowadays. This may be his best bet tonight. If he was lucky there could be cars in the parking lot.

Adam made his way onto the park's sidewalk trail, his eyes peeled for any sort of sustainable shelter within the park grounds itself. Nothing but exposed benches and trees with limbs too skinny to possibly be comfortable, just as Adam had expected. He muttered to himself and trudged along. If there was no car--- or worse, no parking lot--- he'd be out of luck for finding a safe shelter before dark.

The trail walk remained uneventful, even as the sun sank lower in the sky. To save daylight, Adam detoured into the overgrown grass, now on a direct path to the dilapidated playground. He smiled, encouraged. A playground was often close to the parking lot, so he couldn't be too far. He picked up his pace as he swatted away a cluster of bugs. The sooner he was out of this gnat-ridden field, the better.

Once he reached the entrance to the playground, Adam halted in his tracks. Crunching. And not the gravel type--- the _eating_ type. _Great. Some zombie I can't see_ , he thought. He tip-toed along the edge of the playground, one hand extended for balance and the other poised to draw his sword at any second. He kept an eye on the playground for whatever was making that awful noise. 

Adam spotted the source. Crouched inside of one of the playground domes was a zombie crunching on a bone. It was too focused on the bone to notice a silent teenager sneak by... for the moment. Adam licked his lip. _Careful_. If he moved too fast, the creature would be after him in a flash.

At long last, Adam managed to sneak past the zombie. He breathed a quick sigh of relief and turned to face forward again, grateful that he had gotten by without incident--- _Uh-oh_. He'd thought too soon.

_More of them_. More of them had appeared on the short trail ahead. And they were watching Adam intently. There were how many? Four or five, not including the bone-muncher behind him? The teen drew his sword and stared back at them. He could take them and get on with his search, no problem.

The zombies reacted to Adam's swift motion like a bull to a flag. They charged him within a heartbeat. Adam poised his sword to strike and faced them head-on. He could feel the power pulse through his spine and charge through his shoulders, arms, and wrists. With a mighty swing, he struck one zombie on the side of the neck, taking it halfway off. He slid the sword further through the throat to kill as he withdrew the blade to strike a second attacker.

Adam's heart pounded like a war drum in his ears as he turned and swung to face each disgusting new opponent. And each new face he saw was swiftly cut back by his steel. Three down... four down. Five, six. That was supposed to be it. So why did they just keep coming? How many were there still ahead of him? Twenty? _Thirty?_ Where did they all _come_ from?

Adam found himself being forced back up the sidewalk and into the playground gravel. He gritted his teeth together and fought all the harder to hold his ground. He was still striking down zombie after zombie--- but they were coming at him in greater numbers than he could kill them. On top of this was the fact that the more zombies Adam killed, the more blood and gore caked onto his sword, making the already dull blade even harder to effectively handle. More swipes to get the job done. More time wasted.

And the undead just kept coming. Closer. _Closer_. Surrounding him now, on all sides. And the harder Adam fought, the less ground he was taking. And they came closer still. Closer. _Closer. Close enough to bite_.

Adam keeled his sword back to strike, but something grabbed him by the arm and dug its long, sharp fingernails into his skin. He whipped around and punched the bony hand clenched around his forearm, to no effect. Another zombie smacked Adam's hand back, sending the sword flying. Adam clenched his teeth.

_Fine_. If he couldn't use his _sword..._

Adam sent a full-power thrust into his captive arm and pulled backwards. The zombies were gruesomely forced to release Adam as their fragile limbs dislocated from the sheer force of his pull. They had no time to react as their overpowered would-be meal grabbed and smashed their skulls together. Adam threw them down to the floor and turned to face the rest of the horde, fists clenched.

He'd have to use his _hands_.

The battle was a filthy blur of motion. Fingers clawing, fists flying. Teeth gnashing, necks snapping. There was no holding back the horde now, and Adam had to use every limb he could spare to keep the crowd from tearing him down. Surely these zombies had a finite amount. _Surely_ , Adam thought, if he held out long enough, he would run out of enemies to fight... right?

But Adam was growing weary. His muscles would not fail him, but his lungs threatened to burst on him if he breathed any harder. The nerves in his fingers had gone numb from how hard he struck his enemies. He barely felt himself in action anymore. How much longer could he keep going like this? _No!_ This was no time for doubt. He had to keep fighting.

Clawlike fingernails ripped at Adam's flesh with a terrible _scritching_ noise. He swung his aimless fists in a desperate attempt to keep the hungry horde from digging their teeth into him. But the zombies would not relent, and as tenacious as Adam's spirit was, the hunger of the undead seemed to be so much more resilient. He continued to swing and kick even as they toppled him to the ground. The smell of their foul, rotting skin and sour breath drew ever closer, and Adam was not getting much further, strong as he was. Any powerful punch he landed on one zombie was restricted by the others behind it. Each kick, useless. Each swing, futile.

Was this it? Was this the end for him? A pitiful meal for a horde of zombies? Well. At least they couldn't say he was an easy catch. If he was going to die, he was going to die fighting.

Painful howls and moans from the outside of the crowd distracted the zombies on the inside. Adam could feel heat coming closer as the screams of the undead grew louder--- closer. Something was going on out there.

One zombie took advantage of Adam's distraction and dove down directly on top of his chest. Adam yelped as its deformed jaws opened wide to reveal gore-stained yellow teeth. Adam squeezed his eyes shut and prepared to feel his face get ripped from his skull. But it never happened. Instead, a terrible shrieking sounded above him. Adam opened his eyes to see the zombie's glowing green eyes wide with terror, its entire body now engulfed in flames. It leaped up, screeching and stumbling, until it finally collapsed into a smoldering pile of ash and bone, screams drifting away in the wind.

Adam only stared at the ashen corpse, taking deep breaths. They were all... _gone_. They had all been turned to dust, just like that. What could have _done_ this? What could...

"Hey, man," said a voice from above him. Adam jerked his head in the direction of the voice. An outstretched hand hovered above him. The owner of the hand was a scrawny, redheaded teenage boy, maybe a year or two younger than Adam. He wore ill-fitting clothes, and from his neck hung a pair of industrial goggles. "Thought you looked like you could use some help."

Adam grabbed the boy's wrist and hauled himself up. "Th... thanks," he rasped, shaken. He looked down and brushed a few crispy ashes off his shirt. "What... happened?"

The redhead huffed. "I saved your _butt_ , that's what happened," he said. "What'd you think you were _doing_ , taking on a hundred zombies like that? Well, more like 45...ish. But you get what I'm saying!"

"I was just passing through," said Adam. He bent down and lifted his sword from the ashen ground. "I wasn't expecting there to be so _many_. Usually they travel in groups of 15 or 20, at the most."

The younger teen shrugged. "Ha. Well, you know what they say. Desperate times call for desperate measures." He casually lifted one hand, which burst into flames on cue. "And with someone like _me_ around, _believe me_ , they get desperate." The boy smiled. "I'm Kai, by the way."

Adam stared at the flame, mesmerized. "Adam."

"So, Adam." Kai clenched his fist and the flame vanished at once. "Wanna come back with me to my place? It'll be dark soon and you probably need a place to stay."

Adam gave it a moment of thought. Normally, he preferred to stay on his own somewhere. He had the skills and resources to make it through the night on a decent amount of sleep. But after fighting a horde like _that_ in _daylight_... "Sounds like a plan. Lead the way, Kai."

\---

"You know, you must be really strong to have come out of that with just a few _scratches_ ," said Kai, hands buried in the pockets of his blue jeans. "Nobody just... _fights_ a thousand zombies and comes out alive. You must have powers too, right?"

Adam nodded. "Yeah." He walked alongside his new acquaintance, keeping a watchful eye on his surroundings. Kai smiled and continued to chatter away--- kicking pebbles, being loud, looking nowhere but straight ahead--- everything Adam had learned _not_ to do while the sun was setting. If Adam's near scrape with death hadn't been enough to put him on the edge, this was doing a fine job of tipping him over it.

The two turned down a block into a residential area. "It's not far from here," Kai announced.

Adam kept one hand gripped firmly to his satchel's strap and the other balled into a fist at his side. He could see them already--- green eyes peeking out from underneath unused vehicles and around sunless corners. _Watching them_. Waiting for the right moment to pounce. Adam clutched the strap tighter.

Kai sent an amused glance to his companion and snorted. "Chee. Why so uptight?"

Adam gestured toward the zombies. "Don't you _see_ them?" he hissed.

Kai looked in the direction Adam had indicated. "What, the zombies? Of course I see them." He smirked and carried on ahead. " _That's_ why they aren't attacking us."

Adam gave his upper lip a nervous lick and hurried to keep up with Kai. The boys traveled to the end of the block. Kai smiled and gestured down the left street. "It's right down this road." Kai led Adam down the road with that painfully carefree lilt to his steps. He could have been _skipping_ for all Adam cared. Fire powers or no, he couldn't understand how someone could run around at sunset like this without worrying about zombies following him home. Yet he claimed the zombies were _afraid of him?_

_Who is this guy?_ Adam wondered. His behavior wasn't rational. He was either crazy, overconfident, or _both!_

A curious sight ahead caught Adam's attention. On the opposite side of the street stood a house--- at least, what should have been a house. It was more of a half-burned husk than a home. The front of the house had completely collapsed, yet the back stood erect, singed up and down with soot and burn marks. It was hideous--- an eyesore--- yet Adam couldn't tear his eyes away from it.

The boys made their way closer and closer to the burned house. Was this place, he wondered, where they were headed? Adam gulped. There was no real shelter inside that he could see, unless there was a basement. But Adam could not fathom an open door to a basement to be anything but a magnet for zombies. How could Kai _live_ there?

They stopped right across the street from it. "Here we are," said Kai. "Right across from the burned one. Easy to remember!" He turned and marched up the driveway of a perfectly normal-looking house.

Adam breathed a sigh of relief, though he took a final curious glance back toward the burned house, drawn to it somehow. He followed Kai up to the door. The redhead removed a sloppy-looking key from his pocket, forced it into the doorknob and unlocked it. He pushed the door open and stepped inside. Adam followed.

Adam took a curious look around the place. It was dark, much like the survivors' homes he'd come across in months past. Even in the limited light, the house appeared to be well-kept, although there was a faint moldy tinge to the air. "Nice place," he remarked.

"Thanks," said Kai. "Though we don't use most of it. We use the bathrooms, the master bedroom, the kitchen, and the basement. Mostly the basement."

Adam quirked an eyebrow. "We?"

Kai smacked his forehead. "Oh! I forgot to tell you. I'm living with a friend." A nervous chuckle escaped his throat. He locked the door behind them and gave it a good slam. "C'mon, I'll introduce you guys."

Adam followed the younger teen through the kitchen and down a staircase. He couldn't help but notice that the basement was well-lit with electricity. The lights overhead flickered every few seconds, but they were still bright. Kai knocked on the side of the cinderblock wall as they entered the room. "Hey Mira! We've got a guest staying with us tonight."

A girl with long raven-black hair sat in an office chair. She had been writing something into a spiral notebook before Kai addressed her. Now she turned to face her friend and his new acquaintance. "So it seems." She waved and shot Adam a small but friendly smile. "Hey! I'm Mira."

"Adam," he replied, extending a hand. "Nice to meet you."

Mira shook his hand and nodded. "You too."

"I found him fighting off a horde of a _million_ zombies!" declared Kai. "Guy's got powers too!"

"Really?" Mira seemed impressed. "Wow."

Adam leaned casually against the wall and folded his arms, hoping to change the subject. "I ah... couldn't help but notice the electricity you've got down here," he said.

"My call!" said Kai from behind. He grinned and patted a peculiar-looking metal device that was shoved into the wall. "Steam-powered generator. Pretty cool, right?"

"Hey. It was my idea," said Mira. "You just threw the thing together."

"You..." Kai paused. "You _suggested_ it. OK, I guess it counts. But I'm the one that found the stuff and made it work!" He crossed his arms in mock indignation.

Mira shook her head fondly. "You'll have to excuse Kai. He likes to be a showoff." She fanned the spiral notebook in her hand. "So, what brings you here, Adam? Looking for food, shelter...?"

Adam half-smiled. "I'm just passing through," he said. "I'm a... lone ranger, you could say. I go from town to town, I _try_ to avoid the zombies... and I help out anyone who needs it."

"Oo. Hey, we do the same thing. Kinda," said Mira. "Only we stay here in town. We're kind of like the local superhero team." She smiled. "Kai takes care of the zombies and I take care of the people."

Adam tilted his head back, intrigued. "Cool. So, you _both_ have superpowers?"

"Yeah," said Mira. Her olive eyes drifted to one of the fresh scratches on Adam's forearm. "Here." She took his arm in one hand, held out her other and lay it on the scratch. "I'll show you." Adam flinched at the contact, but remained still. He was too curious now to pull away from her.

Mira stared at her hand with intensity--- such intensity that Adam could have sworn he saw lightning in her eyes. His skin began to tingle beneath her touch. The sensation reminded him of that stuff Mama used to put on his scraped knees when he was a kid, only not as painful. In fact, it was rather pleasant after the initial shock of it, Adam thought.

The sensation petered out and disappeared within a few seconds. Mira nodded in satisfaction and withdrew her hand. "All done."

Adam peered down at his arm. Where there had been a scratch mere moments before, there was now clear, unmarked skin. "Wow," he murmured. "I didn't know a power like that even _existed_."

"Well now ya do!" said Kai. He began to approach them.

"Think you can do that with the others too?" Adam inquired. "Or would that take too much energy?"

Kai grabbed Adam by the shoulder. "Speaking of energy," he said, "I'm gonna show Adam where we keep our food. Be right back!"

Adam opened his mouth to protest, but the forceful redhead pulled him away from Mira before he'd ever had the chance to say "But."

Kai tugged Adam along at a brisk speed. "That big zombie fight had to make you hungry. So thankfully for _you_ , we have plenty of food."

Adam yanked away from Kai's grasp and took on a more leisurely pace. "It's fine, Kai. I've got peanuts in my bag. I'm not gonna take any of you guys' food."

Kai turned back to him. There was a wide smile on his face, but his eyes were dim with annoyance. "We _insist_ ," he said. He strolled off again.

Adam followed, shoving one hand in his pocket. "And if I refuse?" he questioned.

Kai stopped before the door to another room. He gave Adam an incredulous look as he turned the doorknob. "We'll lock you in this room until you finally try something. Obviously." Adam raised an eyebrow. Kai snorted and opened the door. "Yeesh. Can I offer you a sense of humor?"

Adam shrugged. "I dunno. Is it on the menu?" He approached Kai, feeling smug.

Kai opened his mouth, as if prepared to say something equally as snarky in response, then closed it again. He let out a small laugh. "OK, so you're not _completely_ humorless. It's a start."

Adam opened the door further. "Sorry. Just don't feel like _joking around_ , if you can imagine." He took a look inside the room.

Kai paused in thought. "Yeah. Fair enough, I guess," he agreed.

Adam's eyebrows had already shot up to a new height at what he saw in that room. There was food all right--- loads and loads of it. All sorts of food. Boxed food, bagged food, canned food. There had to have been enough for well over a year left.

"Go _on_ already," goaded Kai. "Like I said, we have plenty."

"I'll say." Adam instead turned to face Kai again, still in a state of shock. "Kai, how'd you even _get_ all this stuff?"

Kai gave a nonchalant shrug. "I raided as many grocery stores as I could and made a run for it. Trust me, nobody wants to challenge a naked guy who can burst into flames at will."

Adam blinked. "O...K." He paused. "Nobody?"

Kai shook his head. " _Nobody_ ," he emphasized. "C'mon. Find something you want and I'll show you where we sleep."

Adam coughed, finally managing to shake the image of a naked, flaming Kai from his head. "Right."

"Might have to save that for later, Kai," called Mira from the other side of the room. Both boys turned to look at her. Mira held up a small black device--- a pager, by the looks of it. There was concern knitted into her brow. "Trouble."

"Ooh!" Kai rushed over to her. "What is it?"

Adam followed, intrigued. He was curious--- how did these two run their operation? It had to be complicated, trying to keep an entire town's zombie population from devouring whatever residents remained here.

"Two guys from the shelter on South Chamberlain. Stuck with some kids in a bus a few streets away from the shelter."

"Then let's go!" Kai squeaked. He dropped down to the floor and began to strip off his shoes and socks, then paused. He looked up at Adam, then back to Mira. "Wait. What about Adam?"

Mira turned to Adam, a questioning look on her face. "Will you be OK here by yourself?"

"Actually, I..." Adam scratched the back of his head. "I was wondering if you'd let me tag along. Just to see how you two do your thing."

"Wow, really?" Kai removed his last sock and hopped to his feet. "You aren't tired from fighting a _zillion_ zombies earlier?"

"A little," Adam admitted. "I just want to watch."

Mira bit her lip in thought. Finally, she nodded. "All right. You can tag along if you want. C'mon, guys."

The trio headed upstairs. Mira threw open the door and let Kai and Adam out before she shut it and locked it with her own key. She rushed to join the boys and stood in front of Kai, who pulled the goggles from around his neck up onto his face. Then he wrapped his arms firmly around Mira's torso and turned to smirk at Adam. "Try to keep up!" he said. With a powerful burst of flames from the boy's feet, Kai and Mira shot up into the air like a rocket.

And Adam wasted no time in starting after them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OK, that's the last chapter for a while. I'm going to go back and work on What Lies Beyond so I can get a third chapter out on that. I've had a long enough break!
> 
> Also HAVE YOU GUYS ALL HEARD ABOUT THE UPCOMING SECOND SEASON IN 2020? It makes my entire fan-tinuation universe obsolete, but you know I'm going to ride that train 'till the wheels fall off. It's still valid speculation for another year. What are your hopes for season 2? Thoughts on the teaser? Do you like that they're doing this or think they should have left it be? Do you think it will be as good as, worse than, or better than the first season? Personally, I just hope it's as fun and engaging as season 1. :)
> 
> -Cy


	3. Call to Action

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once I actually sat down to write this it didn't take long at all--- only about a week. Woo-hoo!
> 
> I have a complete outline for this story. If my speed continues I may be able to put out a chapter a month on both 'Beyond' and 'Infection', unless What Lies Beyond starts to get difficult again, in which case this story will take a backseat. But for now, this show is back on the road.
> 
> Have fun with the chapter. :>

Adam kept his eyes above as the blazing fireball known as Kai soared overhead. Though sore and tired, Adam managed to keep up bound for bound. He allowed the power to blitz through his legs, charging him forward at a furious speed. He sprang onto a dumpster, onto a balcony, and onto the rooftops, leaping from one to another in hot pursuit. He never let Kai and Mira out of his sight.

It wasn't long before Adam spotted their destination. A long-unused small white bus sat in the parking lot of a broken old school building, surrounded by another horde of zombies. This group was not nearly as large as the one Adam had fought earlier, but it was still a larger group than the hordes Adam was used to. They must live inside the school, Adam surmised. And those local guys in the bus had to have known that. So what on earth were they _doing_ there?

He figured he'd find out once they were safe. Adam perched himself on the closest nearby rooftop to watch the battle unfold. Mira spotted Adam from above and waved, then said something to Kai. He said something back to her, then made a few motions with his hands to indicate some sort of plan to Mira, which she acknowledged. Then they dove down into the fray.

They landed in front of the bus doors, in the midst of the attacking horde. Kai released Mira, who got out of the way just in time for Kai to burst his hands into flames, charge up a massive blaze, and hurl it forward into the crowd of zombies to give himself some space. Meanwhile Mira forced the bus door open and slipped inside, closing it shut behind her. Kai glanced back to make sure she was no longer out in the open. Then he really started to let loose.

Fire flew everywhere. The zombies were scattered after Kai's initial attack, so the boy resorted to shooting one or two at a time. At least... that's what Adam speculated. Kai seemed to be having great fun blasting each individual zombie. The overconfident grin from before had returned, and he never showed the slightest bit of hesitation when he flamed a zombie. In fact, he seemed downright _gleeful_ while he did so.

Zombies were crumbling into piles of ash one after another as Kai mercilessly destroyed the horde. He even blasted the zombies that turned to run away. Adam whistled, impressed. Here he was above the scene, able to see every zombie in the horde. There Kai was on the ground, a sharp eye for each zombie that did not bear his mark. As soon as he caught sight of one, he took aim and blasted it. Once the zombie was ablaze, he left it to panic, helpless as it dissolved to cinders, while he took care of another in the same manner.

Adam had to admit--- these guys seemed to have everything under control. Kai had almost blown the entire horde to smithereens and Mira was already waiting at the bus door with those trapped, ready to emerge. Their operation was a success.

...Wait.

Adam's eagle-eye perspective still gave him an advantage Kai did not have. Kai could only see what was in front of him, and he did not keep an eye on the zombies he had already set on fire. One such blazing victim was careening dangerously close to that bus' engine.

"KAI!" Adam shouted. The boy didn't seem to notice, caught up in his revelry and too far down to hear anything outside his immediate vicinity. Mira, however, _had_ noticed. She banged on the door of the bus and pointed toward the engine, calling out for Kai's attention. But he didn't acknowledge her either.

Adam had mere seconds to react. He let as much strength as he could muster charge through his legs, through his feet, and into his toes. Then he launched himself from the rooftop, aiming for the front end of the bus, and for the zombie that stumbled ever closer to it. He landed nearby and got a running start, maintaining the power in his legs while charging a new force in his back, shoulders and arms. Adam jetted forward. He slammed into the bus and pushed it forward just as the zombie collapsed, still burning, where the engine had been mere seconds before.

And Adam, dizzy from expending so much strength at once (not to mention from the backlash caused by slamming into a bus at full speed), collapsed to his knees in front of it. It took a good fifteen seconds for the disorientation to wear off. The last of the zombies crumbled away in his peripheral. The banging on the bus door continued. Kai shouted something panicked. Adam shook his head and tried to float back down to his surroundings, with little success.

"I can't! It's stuck!" That was Mira.

"How'd it get _stuck?_ "

"It's an old bus. Try helping us pull from the outside!"

Kai grunted. "Gah! I'm _trying!_ "

"Try harder!"

"I just blasted an _entire horde_ of zombies, Mira! I'm already _spent!_ "

"Do you want to get us out of here or not?"

Adam rose to his feet, knees shaking. He used the bus to steady himself.

"Of _course_ I do!" Kai's voice cracked. "I just _can't!_ "

Adam stumbled forward. "Here... let me help," he breathed.

Kai's fiery answer surprised him. "You've helped enough!" he snarled. "As far as we know, you could be the reason the door's jammed in the first place!"

Mira sounded shocked with that response. "If he hadn't _done_ that, we'd all be _dead_ right now!" She banged at him. "I _tried_ to warn you."

"I was busy," snapped Kai. But his hasty anger slipped away almost as swiftly as it had risen. He turned back to Adam and gave him a reluctant nod. "Fine, you can help." He stepped back, arms folded close to his chest.

Adam raised an eyebrow at the turbulent redhead, puzzled by the sudden outburst but unfazed. He dug his fingers into the jammed door and sent a pulse through his fingers. Using that tiny burst of power, he got the door to unjam. As he pulled, Mira and the two guys there with her helped. At last, the door opened.

Mira and two men in their mid-twenties, along with three still-frightened kids, stepped out of the bus. "Thank you guys _so much_ ," said one man. He nodded to Adam. "I know Mira and Kai, but I don't know you. You're new around here."

Adam pinched his temple. "Just passing through," he answered.

"What were you guys doing out here anyway?" demanded Kai. He pointed to the school. "That place is a death trap and we all know it. Even _I_ wouldn't go in there!"

"It was Caden's idea!" said one of the kids, indicating the oldest boy. "He wanted to look around..."

Kai cut her off. "So you decided to just... come _with_ him?"

"I thought we'd be safer together," said Caden.

"They've already been reprimanded," said the other of the two guys. "We took off after them soon after they left so they didn't get very far. That still didn't stop the horde from hearing us and... well, the rest is history."

Mira set her hands on her hips. "Well, you guys did the right thing getting in the bus," she said. "I'm just glad no-one was hurt past a scraped knee. You guys think you can get back to the shelter OK?"

"Yeah, we'll be fine."

"All right. Stay safe!" Adam squeezed his eyes shut and leaned against the bus, still lightheaded. He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked back up at Mira. She was eying him with concern. "I think we've got someone else who needs our help here."

\---

Adam woke up at some undetermined time, in some undetermined room, in a relatively comfortable bed. Light filtered through the main window in the room, though it was covered up by a thick curtain. Though at first surprised, it didn't take long for him to remember what had happened that previous evening.

...Yeah. Using full power on nearly every part of his body at once. Probably not the smartest move he'd ever made. But he'd saved lives--- that was all that mattered. He faintly recalled the walk to the house. Mira's arm had been draped over his shoulder as he'd stumbled along, half asleep. Kai had walked beside them, oddly stoic as he'd lit their way back, both hands ablaze. Adam barely remembered entering the house, or even getting into this bed. Had he used _that_ much energy?

"Is he awake yet?"

On instinct, adrenaline rushed through Adam's veins. He flipped over in bed to face the voice, all residual grogginess gone. Both Mira and Kai stared back at him, equally startled.

"Survey says yes," said Mira.

Adam sat up in bed. That initial kick had been more than enough to get him back in gear. Had his nerves known he was in safe hands, he would have slept longer--- after all, he got so little good sleep. If it was back on the road for him today, he'd want to sleep for as long as possible. But, he supposed--- he was up now.

Mira sat down beside him. "How do you feel?"

Adam stretched his arms out in front of him. "Awake," he sighed.

"Great. You really blacked out on us yesterday."

"Yeah, dude." Kai laughed, stopping beside the bed. "We were starting to think you'd _never_ wake up."

"Guess I needed the rest," said Adam. He idly scratched the back of his head and pulled back the curtain to get a look outside. It was broad daylight. "How long was I asleep?"

"All night and all morning," said Mira. "It's afternoon now." She smiled and scooted back off the bed. "I hope you don't make a habit of pushing yourself that far while doing your lone ranger thing."

"Ah... no." Adam slipped out of bed and smoothed down his shirt. "I've never used that much power at once before. Guess it drained me more than I thought it would."

Kai coughed awkwardly. Mira turned to her friend with a knowing look, one with deeper meaning that Adam could not quite grasp. The redhead dug his thumbs into his pockets and let his gaze fall to the ground. Mira sighed with sympathy. She faced Adam again. "Come and have lunch with us. We need to talk to you about something."

So Adam followed his hosts downstairs, where they let Adam take his pick of their selection. He chose the easy-to-store foods--- the individually wrapped snacks. He always loaded his bag with that sort of stuff, should it be available to him, before he left any town. It was a majority of their stock, and neither Mira nor Kai had any objections to his choices: trail mix, peanuts, and a box of eight protein bars. If Adam hoped to regain his strength faster, this stuff was his best bet.

They sat down in the kitchen to eat the meal. Adam was grateful to get a chance to refuel before heading back on his way, particularly after such a massive power crash. And that crash had not only made him sleep for almost a day--- it had left him famished. It was a good thing Mira and Kai had an extensive supply of food, otherwise Adam would have started to feel guilty by now.

Although lunch began in silence, Kai soon piped up and made conversation--- well... _tried_ to make conversation. It was less of a conversation and more of a monologue.

"So we spent the night looking for zombie trouble. There wasn't anything _too_ big after we went back out. Maybe a group or two on the street..." He paused to munch a few peanuts. "And some we found trying to break into this one shelter that's _still_ trying to get set up. They've been at it for months and we've had to go over there like... five times in the past _two weeks_. Not including last night. Anyway, I just shot 'em with a couple blasts and they're done. Easy!"

Adam just wanted to eat. Why was Kai running down the night's events like this? Adam certainly didn't recall asking for that.

Kai seemed to notice Adam's displeasure. He shifted in his seat. "Maybe... _too_ easy. I can do more than just... blast zombies off walls, y'know." He laughed.

"We know, Kai," said Mira, tone gentle.

Kai tossed one hand toward Adam. " _You_ do. _He_ doesn't."

"Sure I do. I saw you last night," said Adam. He got set unwrapping a protein bar.

"Yeah... I mean, yeah! You did. But I wasn't... I didn't exactly... that is to say, I... um..." Kai dug his fingers through his hair. There was something on the tip of his tongue; that much was obvious.

Adam smiled for the younger teen's sake. "You were really good out there."

Kai perked up. "You think so?"

"Yeah. You and Mira really know what you're doing."

Kai's face brightened for a moment, before the faint smile faded back into a worried frown. "Wait. So you're not upset about... the thing?"

Adam raised an eyebrow. "Upset about _what_ thing?"

"You know. _The thing_." Kai threw out his hands for emphasis. He must have thought that adding a gesture to the same vague words he'd just used would clarify their meaning. It did not.

Adam shook his head. "Sorry, dude. I don't know what I'm supposed to be upset about."

Kai snorted. "Never mind."

"Kai." Mira set a steady hand on her friend's shoulder. "We talked about this already."

Kai hushed his tone, but Adam could still understand him. "Why can't _you_ tell him?"

"Do you _want_ me to tell him? _Really?_ "

" _No_ , but..."

"Exactly. No 'but'." She patted his arm and nudged him back to face Adam.

Kai sat for a few awkward seconds, blue eyes set forward, unblinking. Then he cleared his throat and rose to his feet. "I messed up last evening. _Big_ time. And... as much as I _hate_ to admit it, I... we..." He slumped. Kai bit his lip, as if it pained him to say the words. "That could have ended in disaster and it's a good thing you were there. We could _really_ use your help. So! Now that _that's_ out of the way..." He thrust his hand into Adam's face, causing Adam to jerk backwards. "Wanna join us?"

Join them? As in... make his home here? _Settle?_ "Uh... I don't know, guys..." Adam sputtered. Kai's hand fell back to his side. The redhead turned to Mira, his expression pleading for her assistance.

"You don't have to decide right away," said Mira. "You could stay with us a few days, and if you decide you don't want to, then... sure. You can go on." She smiled, then reached across the table to nudge his hand with her fist. "But at least give it a shot. We could really use an extra set of hands."

Adam considered his options. He could carry on--- continue a journey that had no visible end. Keep living his life on the run, paranoid of everything that moved, never sure where his next bed would be, nor where his next meal would come from. He could continue to live and travel on his own, a lonely passerby who never let anyone get too close. Or he could make his home here, with these people who wanted his help. He'd have a secure roof over his head and a sure source of food. And he'd get to rescue people--- hopefully with more success than he would alone.

This... made _sense_. Perhaps he _could_... if just until he felt the urge to move on again. It's not like he could ignore a plea for help.

Adam let loose a long sigh, smiling. "All right. I'll stay."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had so much fun describing Adam using his powers in this chapter. Superpowers are great fun to describe in a literary format. I get to imagine and describe what it feels like to use superpowers and... yeah, it's a great time. :D
> 
> Hope y'all enjoyed. Feedback encouraged!
> 
> -Cy


End file.
